Warwan Valley Trek

Details

Your experience starts by the scenic flight into Srinagar Airport, slowly revealing the beautiful face of Kashmir. On the way to Sonmarg, the view changes into a dreamland- meadows of lush green grassland, thick forests of pine trees, with the river Sindh meandering along with the road.

The path goes upward to Zojila Pass (3,528 m) , a spectacular passage connecting the green valleys of Kashmir and the dry surface of Ladakh. Zojila is awesome, with a panoramic view of snow-capped mountains and stunning cliffs, the place would make anyone fall to his/her knees.

The twisting trail down to the picturesque Drass Valley in Ladakh is one literally opening up to broad mountain-scapes and peaceful meadows. We will have lunch in Drass, which is the coldest inhabitable region on the planet, with bold history and breathtaking desolation.

The drive through Kargil town takes us to a beautiful and serene town called Panikhar located at the Suru Valley. Panikhar is a hidden gem, its people are warm-hearted, and modern infrastructure almost very minimal in terms of modernization, against the backdrop of jagged mountains and pure alpine air.

Note: Supply yourself with needed things in Srinagar or Kargil because there are hardly many shops, or amenities in Panikhar.

Once at the campsite, relax and get ready towards the journey. Your ideal introduction to this eccentric journey in the Himalayas will be The valley with its silence and the heavenly sky with starlight.

Details

Today is a day in the life of slowness, acclimatization and harmonization of your rhythm with the mountains. Being the entry point to Zanskar and to the fabled Nun Kun Expedition route, Panikhar is not only a resting place; it is where you reconnect with nature and condition your body to the adventures that await you.

Acclimatize to the high altitude: this is an important measure to make the trek pleasurable and safe. The silence of Suru Valley refreshes you and the moment you can enjoy the silence of Panikhar is when you find beauty in silence. The mountains in the distance are snow capped and the fresh mountain air fills your lungs each step that you take.

The streets wander around the lovely village where lives go following the sun and seasons. See local villagers practising ancient farming, working the land on which they have grown up as they quietly and unobtrusively tend their plants. Have warm conversations and become a part of their hospitality as they welcome you with the genuine Ladakhi culture.

So take the day off to rest followed by journaling or photography, or just sitting and absorbing vistas of a memorable life or time before it really starts.

Hint: To facilitate acclimatization, drink lots of fluids, lighten your movements, and eat healthy. Your body will appreciate you when you ascend the next few days.

Details

The trekking starts today and today you will experience the gradual yet breathtaking ascent into the mid core of the Trans-Himalayas. Bidding adieu to the peaceful beauty of Panikhar, you will again trace the path leading to the shimmering Panikhar Nallah and will pass by a solid bridge as the village will gradually fade behind.

The trail leads to a chasm of bare, craggy mountains, whose steep sides are in splendid contrast to the smooth waters which now sweep along the way on the right. A lush field with its windy water streams is an ideal place to stop and think, a postcard perfect image.

Watch out for shepherd villages, whose pristine landscape knows no time in their rough simplicity, where nomadic existence goes hand in hand with nature. This trail leads on to this wilderness area until you come to Sumdo, a beautiful campsite that lies at a confluence of two rivers; an amphitheatre of nature over water, grassland and high mountains.

Watching the sun go down into the horizon, relaxing panoramic views of converging valleys and amazing cacophony-void of the high Himalaya. Sumdo at 12,350 ft is not only a challenging break but also a restful one that makes the young expedition memorable at the early stage.

Tip: Today marks a significant altitude gain. Walk slowly, rest and continue drinking water during the trek as these factors would assist in acclimatization.

Details

The day trek could be small in distances but provides a wealth of experience. It is time to brace yourself on an adventure-filled journey when you start your day off walking barefoot through various icy streams of rivers you have to cross. The crossings can be in a duration of 30 minutes but cause shivers in your toes-but it is thrilling and beautiful and worth every step.

Stick on the left side of the valley continuing to hold the constantly visible Panikhar Nallah on the right side. On the way, you will cross another shepherd village giving the feeling of a more rustic touch to the peaceful high-altitude landscape.

Passing around the bend of the streams as you retreat, reveals in front of you the passages of the basins of the Denora and Sumdo as a painting comes alive- immense and colorful meadowlands with flowering wildflowers everywhere. The scenery is colourful and life-filled with its panoramic panoramas of the neighbouring mountains.

The path quickly leads you into the chiming grassland Kalapari Meadow was an immaculate field where your camp site was to be set up on top of a calm river stream. It is a relaxing rest which provides a break before the unsociable portions of your journey.

Tip: Bring a tiny towel and some spares sock to clean up your feet at the stream crossings. Take this simple day to adjust and rest up to have an energy-brimming day.

Details

This day is the most exciting and memorable one of the trek: the toughest, the longest day of the expedition. With the 17 km distance and almost 11 hours of difficult terrain to go, you should get an early start of the day and fortify yourself on a hearty breakfast and motivate yourself with a mission.

Leaving the Kalapari meadow, the trail drops at once into rough moraine country with the grand Kalapari Glacier and the summit on guard to the east. With each step up you gain, unable to resist the urge of looking back you only meet a surreal and panoramic sight of the valley that extends beyond infinity.

Here the road takes you into the glacier jewel of the day--the Kaintal Glacier-fed lake itself, sparkling white and blue, with its floating snow chunks scattered across its waters. It is here that you skim the humongous Bracken Glacier, a frozen monster about 1 km in width and stretching along as a winding frozen river under the sky.

Continue to advance, and the landscape rises gradually towards the high pass, and reaches a high of about 14,550 ft. in this stretch, you will encounter various frozen alpine lakes, some of which are half-frozen and some not, jewels that add a dream like character to the route.

The snowfields rise and spread out at the top and slope down gradually into a prolonged down slope. It is then followed by a very dramatic landscape change, steep rocks, snow here and there, and glaciers melt, and slippery fields all which have to be carefully walked through. Your trekking poles will be indispensable here.

Lastly, the terrain becomes less rugged as you pass down to Kaintal Valley. Soon the hard rocks are replaced with vast grass lands that are very welcoming and provide you with the much deserved rest. This is where you will pitch your tent, in an unspoilt Alpine meadow and surrounded by majestic mountains and an utter silence.

High point: The landscape is forever changing this day: glaciers to lakes to snowy passes to grasslands, and all the way it is the most rewarding chapter of the journey, both visually and physically.

Details

The trekking experience today is much milder, but such an immersive experience, as you scale through the rolling meadows, glacial streams, and the very quiet pastures of the area that stretches between Kaintal and Humpet. Although the total route is quite plan, the route was full of wavy surfaces, with long climbs and downhills which keep your body moving and your senses alert.

This trail follows the line of the river, and meanders along through the low grass plains on which horses at pasture lend a country effect to the scene. You will go through a row of shepherd cabins which serve as witnesses to the mountain's existence, and along the pathway you will get occasional hillocks to reward you with panorama images experiencing the world you have left behind.

Be ready to take off your shoes while crossing various glacial streams-chill fresh and very clear. Among them is a large open space, the Sar grassland, which indicates how the landscape visually changes as the Bracken Glacier gradually fades out of the picture, replaced by a new landscape.

At the end of a couple of hours, you reach Humpet, a peaceful spur of meadow which exists amid mountainous peaks. In this case, the apparent differences between the green mountains on the west side of Kashmir and the uninhabitable beauty of Ladakh on the east are highly noticed.

In Humpet your campsite is concealed in a grassy knoll offering a clear sight of Thangkam which is a small shepherd village giving some cultural intimacy to this wilderness adventure.

Strength of the day: A day of contrasts- fertile valleys, frozen river crossings, meadow like lands and a peek into the dry soul of Ladakh.

Trick: Try to stretch out a bit on this comparatively lighter day, replenish and enjoy the various landscape. It is a picturesque preview of the last chapters of your trip.

Details

This is the first long but satisfying downhill walk to a very beautiful and diverse place in your trek, the Warwan Valley. The route that leads to Sukhnai onwards Humpet surprises you with beautiful sceneries, interfaces to the culture, and a view that appears to be too good to be true.

Have a short uphill climb followed by a downhill walk that will last during a few hours of the day. You will cover the undulating grasslands, the calm tracts and rocky curves and slowly but surely moving towards an ideal village of Sukhnai that is far away in a valley in the midst of 285 types of plants, 26 of them are rare and endangered- a dream of a Botanist.

After an approximately four-hour trek, the trail is opened to a breathtaking confluence, where a glacier river meets the Kaintal Nala. When you peep around, you will get to see the glory of the mountain range and the remote visible glimpse of the path that will ultimately take you to Sheeshnag Lake and the holy Amarnath Yatra- a transcendental blend between religion and nature.

The Way to Warwan valley welcomes you with the small passages, hanging cliffs, and stream crossing after stream crossing, each one of them more beautiful and refreshing than the other. Be slow, move slowly and absorb the surroundings.

As you get down further, you get a glimpse of Sukhnai, a sleepy village in the midst of huge open grasslands. The last leg is through farm fields interlaced with the duck-billed fencing resembling that in a European village, yet that remains untamed Kashmir to the core.

What to look forward to: This is a visually and spiritually rewarding day as the day you get to see the confluence of rivers and see a little preview of the Amarnath trail.

Hint: Proceed cautiously on the river crossings and enjoy the cultural wealth of Sukhnai, its unusual mixture of alpin and pastoral lifestyle is not to be missed.

Details

On the last leg of your Trans-Himalayan adventure you are in for a day of green meadows, quaint and handsome villages of the Himalaya and the river Marwah with its rhythmic flow to accompany your downstream journey.

The path alternates between some gentle hilly terrains and runs through lush green fields and wooden bridges, where you can also hear the peaceful streams of water that run alongside. After a few hours in the trail, the pathway opens up to a magnificent landscape of Rekenwas, which is an idyllic village perched between mountains and pasture which can be used as a last chance to bask in the unblemished beauty of countryside Himalaya.

Further down the slope you will reach the ever so slightly more populated and vibrant Basmina village, the hub of local activity. Be sure to spend some time with the locals who are friendly hospital ch Dakar people with a real liking and interest that give a very human touch to the conclusion of your journey.

At Basmina, you will have to trek 5 km more to arrive in Chaudraiman, which is your end-point of trekking. As the day goes, by evening, you will reach the campsite of Chaudraiman that has the mighty mountains behind and the flowing river ahead in the panoramic view of the right climax to this magnificent trip, wild mountain adventure and a rich cultural experience.

Details

As you finish your trek, start the final leg of this memorable journey, of a picturesque road trip of Chaudraiman to Srinagar. This long trail flows out through the spectacular Margan Top with its views of snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see and granite alpine meadows one last time.

As the vehicle and you drive down to Anantnag district, the surroundings slowly change, opening into green orchards, beautiful hamlets and level valleys, all talking of Kashmir culture. Once the road rolls on into the NH1 highway, the civilization is slowly introduced back in and as you reach closer to the cityscape of Srinagar.

Once you are there, it is time to back in the magic journey-of-miles-of-distant glacier-fed basins and great mountain passes, to ancient villages and the winding river. The end of the adventure might be here, but the memories forever left imprinted in your soul will go on far longer than the mountains will be seen in the distance.